US Senator Sherrod Brown releases yearly report to Ohioans

No matter where I travel throughout our state, I never fail to be impressed by what people from all walks of life are doing to strengthen the place we call home.

I’d like to present to you my 2012 Report to Ohioans, which chronicles our work together last year.

Citizens of all 88 counties – farmers and firefighters, teachers and truck drivers, scientists and service members, manufacturers and all middle class workers – are working to attract new economic development to our state.

And I’m committed to working with you to get things done.

With your support, the Senate passed my legislation – the largest bipartisan jobs bill to pass in Congress in recent months – to punish countries, like China, that cheat trade laws in an attempt to undercut Ohio-made products.

Together, we saw the Ohio unemployment rate decline from about 7.7 percent in January 2012 to 6.7 percent in December 2012. Investments in Ohio’s auto industry by the top three auto manufacturers also put people back to work and spurred economic growth throughout the supply chain.

That’s good news, but there is still much more work to do.

Let’s energize our economy by creating a national manufacturing strategy that puts American workers first. Let’s train Ohioans for 21st century jobs. Let’s plan for the future. We can start now by investing in agriculture – and that means passing a Farm Bill that works for Ohio.

In 2012, we faced record deficits, but took the first steps toward reducing our deficit through shared sacrifice. We must continue to reduce the deficit and address our fiscal challenges wisely – without cutting Medicare benefits or compromising Social Security.

In this new Congress, I will continue to fight for equality of opportunity for all Ohioans and I’ll continue to stand up for middle-class families.

The fabric of our rich cultural heritage is intertwined with the opportunities available to all people from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. This year, we can move our economy forward and keep our state strong.